Former Detroit Lions defensive back Stanley Wilson Jr dies at age 40

Former Detroit Lions defensive back, Stanley Wilson Jr, died early in February while at a state hospital at the age of 40 according to a report from TMZ Sports. Wilson played for the Lions for three seasons after five years at Stanford, although his on-field accomplishments were overshadowed by legal and mental health issues following his playing career.

Lions defensive back Stanley Wilson Jr dies at 40

Wilson was selected by the Lions as a third-round draft pick in the 2005 NFL draft, and impressed early in his career until a season-ending knee injury in 2007 set him back. Unfortunately, after recovering and returning to the field he suffered another season-ending injury — an Achilles injury — during the 2008 preseason and never played in the NFL again.

According to the report released on Wednesday, Wilson passed away on Feb. 1 at Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles. At the time of the report, no cause of death had been released, but TMZ noted that the hospital is a specialty hospital for treating people with mental health issues.

Following his retirement, Wilson was involved in multiple legal problems including several arrests and positive drug tests. From 2016-2017, the former star from Stanford was arrested three different times — twice for attempting to break into a home while naked and another for roaming naked in a Portland, Oregon neighborhood.

Wilson’s most recent arrest was from last August for reportedly breaking into another residence, and he was found unable to stand trial due to mental health. Wilson was then transferred to the Metropolitan State Hospital where he recently passed away.

Wilson finished his playing career with the Lions having recorded 89 tackles and forcing one fumble before his career-ending injuries.